Tractors are a common utility vehicle in the farming, construction and landscaping industries. The key benefit of these vehicles is their great versatility. Unlike vehicles dedicated to a specific task, a wide variety of implements and equipment can be attached to and operated by a tractor including loaders, plows, snow throwers, mowers, grappling claws, post hole diggers, forks, bale spears, trenchers, hay balers, cultivators, spreaders and graters, to name a few. In order to efficiently use this wide variety of implements and equipment with a single tractor, however, such implements and equipment must be capable of quick attachment and removal from the tractor, and safe storage when other equipment or implements are being used with the tractor. Accordingly, owners and operators of tractors are constantly seeking new and improved methods and configurations for implements that allow for their quick and safe removal, attachment and storage.
The front end loader is a common implement found on most utility tractors, and its removal, attachment and storage presents specific challenges. The front end loader includes a bucket or scoop that is attached to the end of two lift arms that extend from the front of the tractor, and hydraulic cylinders that connect to the hydraulic system of the tractor to raise and lower the lift arms and rotate the bucket. The front end loader is primarily used to lift, load and transport all types of material including dirt, rocks, feed, sand, gravel, wood and snow. The bucket may also typically be detached from the lift arms so that other implements, such as grappling claws, forks or bale spears, may be attached in place of the bucket and operated by the tractor. Alternatively, secondary implements such as chains, rope, or detachable teeth may be secured to bucket.
Although useful in many applications, it is often desirable for the operator of a tractor to remove the front end loader from the tractor. When operating an implement or equipment attached to the rear of the tractor, for example, the front end loader may reduce the maneuverability of the vehicle, add unnecessary weight to the vehicle and impair the visibility of the operator. Accordingly, an operator may frequently wish to remove the front end loader from the tractor and, later, reinstall the front end loader on the tractor. Because of the size, weight and configuration of the front end loader, this process presents significant challenges.
Unlike many types of equipment that are pulled behind the tractor, the front end loader is inherently unstable due to the long and heavy lift arms that connect at their rear end to the tractor. These arms are necessarily very heavy to provide the necessary structure and support for lifting heavy loads at the end of the front ends of the arms. The arms also include heavy duty hydraulic cylinders that also add significant weight to the arms. When removed from the tractor, the rear ends of the lift arms must be supported to prevent the front end loader from toppling over from the weight of the lift arms and cylinders, which is a significant safety issue. In addition to the safety considerations, the front end loader must be stored in a position that allows for it to be quickly reattached to the tractor.
Many configurations and methods have been developed for removing a front end loader from a tractor and storing the front end loader for later reattachment. In early removable front end loader models, a heavy duty bracket was provided at the rear of the of the lift arms that was used for both attaching the front end loader to the tractor and, upon removal, supporting the rear end of the lift arms when the front end loader was stored. These configurations added significant weight to the front end loader, were complicated to operate and typically required that the bracket be bolted to the tractor when in operation and unbolted when the front end loader was removed. Although useful for earlier tractor models, earlier front end loader configurations were difficult and complicated to remove and reattach to the tractor.
Modern tractor and front end loader configurations allow for much quicker attachment and removal of the front end loader, but the front end loader must still be supported during attachment, removal and storage. In modern configurations, the front end loader is typically installed on a heavy duty bracket assembly bolted to and extending up both sides of the tractor. The rear end of the lift arms are attached to the bracket assembly, typically by mating a tower at the rear end of the lift arms with the bracket assembly and placing heavy duty pins through the towers and brackets on each side of the tractor. To support the front end loader during attachment, removal and storage, prior art front end loader configurations have often utilized a stand that lowers from the lift arms of the front end loader.
Various configurations for stands that lower from the lift arms have been utilized. Stands have been utilized that attach to and lower from the rear of the lift arms, but, when the front loader is operated, attach to and provide support for the lift arms. A simple and common stand used on modern front end loaders is secured to the support between the lift arms when the front end loader is in operation. When the front end loader is removed and stored, the stand is lowered from its storage position and pinned or bolted in place to extend below the lift arms. In this position, the stand supports the lift arms and prevents them from toppling over when stored. When the front end loader is reattached to the tractor, the stand must by raised and secured back in its storage position.
Although common, front end loader stands suffer from many disadvantages. First, all stands add unnecessary weight to the front end loader, thereby decreasing the load that can be lifted and transported by the loader. Second, a stand may become detached from the front end loader during operation and unfold from its storage position, which can result in damage to the stand, front end loader or tractor, or worse, injury to the operator. Third, if the operator forgets to return the stand to its storage position after the front end loader is attached to the tractor, the stand and the tractor can be easily damaged when the front end loader is raised, a problem that is not uncommon when a front end loader is frequently removed and reattached to a tractor. Fourth, most stands must be manually deployed and stored, which requires the operator to dismount from the tractor to deploy the stand, and typically requires pins or other attachment devices that can be lost. Finally, due to the heavy weight of the lift arms bearing down on the stand, the stand may easily sink into soft or wet ground, making it difficult to reattach the front end loader to the tractor. Thus, although front end loader stands have been widely adopted, owners and operators have sought improved configurations and methods to provide for the removal, reattachment and storage of front end loaders that eliminate the need for a stand to support the front end loader.
Configurations that have eliminated the need for a front end loader stand are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,172,384 and 5,895,199. These configurations utilize the bucket of the front end loader as a base for storing the lift arms when the front end loader is removed from the tractor. As disclosed in these patents, the bucket is hyper-extended forward so that it is fully beneath the lift arms and the open portion of the bucket is face down on the ground. In this position, the center of gravity of the lift arms is above the bucket so that the lift arms may be removed from the tractor without the assembly toppling over and the need for a stand is eliminated. This configuration, however, requires a specialized attachment and linkage system for the bucket to attach to the lift arms, as well as hydraulic cylinders capable of rotating the bucket farther forward than in conventional front end loaders. This specialized attachment and hydraulic system can significantly increase the cost of the front end loader, and also limit the number and types of other implements that can be utilized with the lift arms.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that allows the front end loader to be quickly and simply removed from a utility tractor and safely stored in a position that allows for it to be quickly and simply reattached to the tractor.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that does not require the use of tools to attach and remove the front end loader from the tractor, or pins or other attachment devices that can be lost.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that does not add weight to the front end loader.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that utilizes existing front end loader features for a secondary use.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that does not add components to the front end loader that can be damaged, or that could damage the tractor or injure an operator.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that does not require the operator to dismount from the tractor when attaching and/or removing the front end loader.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that will not allow the front end loader to sink into soft or wet ground so that it can be easily and quickly reattached to a tractor.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that can be easily adapted to conventional front end loader configurations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that allows for the front end loader lift arms to be stored on a static object or fixed emplacement without complicated or expensive attachment mechanisms.
An additional object of the present invention is that it be adaptable for all types of front end loaders, including self-leveling front end loaders, and that it be adaptable for past, present and future models of front end loaders.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide a front end loader configuration and method for attachment, removal and storage that is economical to manufacture and simple in operation and deployment.